Ceci n'est pas un conte

by Denis Diderot

"Ceci n'est pas un conte" by Denis Diderot is a philosophical dialogue written in 1772. Two contrasting stories explore the unpredictability of passion and love's refusal to obey reason. In the first tale, a devoted man sacrifices everything for an unworthy woman. The second reverses the pattern: a selfless woman loses all for an ungrateful lover. Through this mirrored structure, Diderot challenges readers to examine their own moral judgments and question whether we can truly control matters of the heart.